


Covert Ops, alternate (schmoopy) ending

by flootzavut



Series: Covert Ops [2]
Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Kate Lives, Kibbs, Season/Series 02, WIP
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-30
Updated: 2016-09-30
Packaged: 2018-08-18 17:58:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 12,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8170720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flootzavut/pseuds/flootzavut
Summary: This is by way of an alternate ending to Covert Ops, following on more or less from chapter 44, and rather less angst ridden. Pure and total fluff and sweet enough to rot your teeth. I HAVE NOT GIVEN UP ON THE ORIGINAL. Kibbs! But of course. This one only makes sense if you've read 1-44 of Covert Operations already!





	1. 45

**Author's Note:**

> So apparently, my brain just can't help itself when it comes to Kibbs. This is by way of an alternate ending to Covert Ops, following on more or less from chapter 44, and rather less angst ridden. Which is not to say I've abandoned the longer and more complex version AT ALL. But this version apparently wanted out of my brain, and so I thought I'd share it, as it gets written, as a kind of bonus feature, and also hopefully something just to make you guys smile while I figure out the endgame of Covert Ops Proper.
> 
> Fair warning, this is almost certainly going to be pure and total fluff and sweet enough to rot your teeth. But for the hopeless romantics among us, I hope this will give you a bit of enjoyable squee ;) and will convince you to forgive me for taking so long to finish the other version of the story ;)
> 
> More to come, but for now, I hope you enjoy chapter alt!45 :)

 

Kate felt like a little kid on Christmas Eve as she made her way back towards the house. Their mission was officially a success, Gibbs was back, and they still had an afternoon and one whole, glorious night to enjoy one another in this place. Though she thought and hoped and was reasonably secure that going back to real life would not preclude more enjoyment. Quite how things would work out with the team, how they would fit this around everyday life, she wasn't sure, but they would figure it out. This was too good to mess up.

She saw Gibbs getting out of the car and handing his keys to a valet as she approached the front of the house, and couldn't suppress the enormous smile on her face. He was looking at his cellphone as she approached, and she managed to sidle right up to him before he sensed her presence.

His answering smile when he saw her was more than enough reward. She couldn't remember having ever seen such joy on his face in all the time she'd known him. He gently cradled her face in his hands and studied her, his expression soft and tender.

"Hey," he murmured, stroking his thumbs over her cheeks.

"Hey yourself." Kate wondered if it was actually possible to injure yourself from smiling too hard.

Gibbs continued to study her face for a few moments more, and then leaned down and gently kissed her, sweet and tender. When he pulled away, it took a moment for her to recover and she shot him a mock scowl for his satisfied look.

"Successful trip?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Everything went smooth." He indicated the bag slung over his shoulder, which she assumed contained the new bugs they would be placing.

There was so much to say, but they just stood there, grinning foolishly at one another. Kate wondered if her smile looked as goofy as his did, and when a quiet but penetrating " _ahem_ " sounded over their earwigs, she gave a quick thank you that at least they weren't under video surveillance.

Gibbs switched back into business mode as they made their way to the front door, but that didn't stop him taking her hand as he apprised DiNozzo of his plans for the afternoon, and Kate felt like she should almost be ashamed of her delight in that simple gesture.

As they reached the door, he stopped her, pulling her round to face him once more. He gestured to his ear, and she nodded her understanding - neither of them were ready to expose what was happening between them to their colleagues. It made it frustrating, but she could live with that.

She didn't, however, expect what happened next, as he leaned down close to her ear, the opposite side to the hated earwig, his breath tickling her neck.

They stood like that for a few seconds, and she took the opportunity to savour his nearness, his scent, his warmth and solidity. Then eventually he spoke, soft, low, for her ears only.

"Katie... I'm- I'm all yours."

Her breath caught in her throat for a moment. Given the circumstances, that was a good deal more than she'd expected as a response to her whispered admission this morning. She blinked away the moisture welling up in her eyes.

"Ditto," she whispered back.

His hand came up to caress her face and smooth her hair back, and then he drew away and gave her an even more open and joyous smile, a look she'd never have imagined she would see on his face, never mind prompted by her.

They stood there for a few moments, grinning foolishly at one another, and then he took her hand again and tugged her inside. They did, after all, have work to do. And right now she was pretty sure she'd never enjoyed her job more.


	2. 46

Gibbs lay on his back in the pleasantly cool water, allowing himself to get lost in the blue sky above him. With all the other guests still inside the main house, the pool area was much more enjoyable than it had been the day before, and not just because he was expecting Kate to arrive any minute.

They'd planted several more bugs, and while they'd be on the lookout for any last minute opportunities to place the spares that had been sent 'just in case', they had done what they'd set out to do. Although he felt sure Director Morrow would not see it quite the same way, Gibbs had decided this last 24 hours counted as holiday, or the next best thing, and he planned to treat it that way unless something dramatic popped up. He was always being told he needed to lighten up, take some time out, relax. Most of the time he rolled his eyes and ignored the suggestion, but with a day to kill in these surroundings with Kate... Suddenly he saw the appeal.

"Hey, Gibbs!"

Hearing her voice, he flipped in the water and made his way over to the edge of the pool. She grinned happily at him, and he couldn't help returning the smile with interest. One thing was for sure, he hadn't smiled this much in years.

When she slipped out of her robe, he lost almost his entire supply of cool. He could've sworn his heart literally skipped several beats. She'd looked amazing in yesterday's swimming gear, but today she was wearing a sleek, dark red bikini. Still classy, and still less revealing than some of the outfits others had been seen wearing, but it was more of Kate than he'd ever seen outside his wildest fantasies.

As she walked over to the pool, he summoned up every last stitch of self control so he could give her an approving look, rather than simply drooling like a hungry dog. There was a distinct risk of him falling at her feet and promising absolute obedience forever if she was going to wander round looking like that. Right now that didn't seem like such a bad idea, but after three failed marriages he tried not to make decisions when the blood supply to his brain was severely compromised. They both, he was pretty sure, knew this thing between them had a future, but he would rather discuss it when she was wearing something a little less revealing and a lot less flattering.  _Maybe a burka_...

When his eyes finally made their way up to meet her gaze, she looked decidedly pleased with herself. He shrugged and she laughed, both of them revelling in their mutual understanding. Gibbs was more than usually grateful, with her looking like that, that she didn't expect him to yak like DiNozzo. He felt like he was going to more than live up to his reputation as monosyllabic. At least the late afternoon swim with each other had given them a reason to ditch the earwigs and mics for a while. Their cellphones were still within reach, just in case, but they'd both been self conscious at lunch, aware their colleagues were hearing all their conversations. It was much easier to relax when they didn't have to think about that. If he blurted out something monumentally stupid or exposing, only Kate would hear it. He was feeling generous enough towards the universe today to be grateful for that small mercy.

As she climbed down into the pool, he caught sight of the heart on her backside, and felt a thrill at having the freedom to reach out and touch it. She stilled for a moment at the bottom of the ladder and looked at him over her shoulder, her eyes wide. Keeping eye contact, he dragged his thumb across the tat, savouring her little surprised gasp and the way her gaze darkened.

"It suits you."

She coloured and bit her lip, but the twitch at the corner of her mouth gave away her pleasure at his appreciation. "I thought you knew what it was already."

He shrugged a shoulder. "Well yeah, but I never got to see it up close and personal before."

That earned him a suspicious glare as she span around to face him and search his expression for answers. He chuckled.

"But you have seen it before?" She looked faintly appalled at the notion, and he gave her a wicked grin. "When? Gibbs?  _Gibbs?_ "

He rather enjoyed her outrage. Telling her the details straight out, he decided, would be absolutely no fun at all.

What was fun was to pull her close, properly feel her skin against his for the first time, and breathe in the seductive scent of her hair.

He felt her relax into his embrace, first simply resting against him, then after a few minutes slipping her arms around his back and pressing a soft kiss to his collarbone. He cupped a hand around her jaw and tilted her head up so he could kiss her properly.

It was liberating to feel freed from the constraints of surveillance and their assumed roles, to have the freedom to kiss her as thoroughly and passionately as he knew how, to feel her melt against him and hear her incoherent sounds of pleasure. It was almost more than he could stand.

He groaned as he finally broke the kiss. Kate simply stood there, her eyes closed, her smile dreamy, and for a moment he wondered if this was all just some magnificent fantasy from which he could awake at any moment.

This was addictive. She was addictive. He was trapped, owned, possessed, and what was both best and worst was that he was loving it.

With a happy sigh, Kate opened her eyes, blinking slowly. Judging by the way her smile widened when she looked at him, he looked at least as love struck as she did. She reached up a hand to touch his face, then let it slip down through the fuzz of hair on his chest to explore the contours of his abs.

He took a deep, shuddering breath. She was definitely, definitely going to be the death of him.

"Geez Kate, are you tryin' to get me arrested for public indecency?" he murmured in her ear.

She laughed, low and seductive. "It's hardly public when the place is deserted."

He pulled her in close so she'd have no doubt exactly the effect she was having, and he grinned at her sudden blush. "I really wouldn't want to have to explain this to the director if we got... caught," he pointed out.

Her smile again took on that embarrassed but pleased quality that was so endearing. "OK." He could feel her laughter as she leaned against him

"Maybe... maybe we should actually take that swim," he managed to force out. She giggled again at his strained tone, but finally released her hold on him. "God, I'm too old for this, you're gonna kill me."

She reached up on tiptoe, one hand on his chest for balance, till her lips were right next to his ear. "But what a way to go." And then she was powering off across the pool. "Betcha can't catch me, old man," she threw back at him, challenge in her tone.

He shook his head with a wry grin as he plunged after her. Oh, he'd catch her all right. And make her pay. And it was a sure bet they'd both thoroughly enjoy it.


	3. 47

She was trying to concentrate on the conversation at the dinner table, she really was. But Gibbs was making it impossible, as he had been all evening. The most frustrating thing was that she was fairly sure he wasn't even doing it on purpose. Most of their fellow guests were as drunk as if this were the last night of a DiNozzo spring break extravaganza, not a society gathering at a home renowned for its class and taste. Kate couldn't decide if she was relieved or annoyed that common sense prohibited her from joining them.

Gibbs' hand was resting lightly on her thigh, and in her imagination it was practically burning through the fabric. She wondered if he was as aware of it as she was. It was maddeningly distracting. Part of her would've liked to have dampened her emotions and reactions in alcohol, just to survive the evening, and another part of her already wasn't sure she how she was going to keep her hands off him after half a glass of wine. It seemed rather ironic that they'd managed to stay more or less decent swimming and lounging round the pool for two hours, but now in company all she wanted to do was tear his clothes off just so she could feel his body against hers again.

Eventually she gave in to temptation and laid her own hand over his, enjoying the contrast of his weathered knuckles against her smooth palm. She savoured the simple pleasure of touching him without having to pretend that it was for any reason other than really wanting to.

He looked at her tenderly. She smiled back, then let her gaze drop to the table even as she leaned into him. One of these days, she might just get used to seeing that expression on his face, but she didn't think it would come any time soon. For now, it was simply overwhelming. He dropped a kiss on her temple. She was pretty sure that feeling his lips against her skin was a sensation she wouldn't grow tired of in a hurry, either.

"Well, somebody's in love, I guess," came a penetrating voice from over the table. A couple of people laughed at the man's resigned tone.

"Told you. Cough up." That voice, louder still, came from the other side of Gibbs, and Kate suddenly felt like the entire party was looking at them as her cheeks grew hot.

"Well, I'm going to double check before I give  _you_  any money..."

Someone had placed a bet on them?  _Oh, God_. She turned startled eyes towards Gibbs, wondering how he'd take that. Even after everything that had happened this last few days, and especially all the time they'd spent with each other this afternoon, she hadn't been brave enough to repeat the L word.

Having someone else say it was not how she'd envisaged this moment, and having fellow guests gamble on them... She half expected his expression to fall or simply to close up, shut down, pretend not to have heard. Either that or have him punch the man in the nose.

To her surprise, his gaze was steady and intent, and if anything his eyes were conveying more emotion, more - did she dare even think it? - love than she could have imagined. There was a pause as they looked at one another, and then his mouth twitched into that little grin that made her heart flutter.

"Guilty as charged." He studied her face, watching her reaction. She felt joy break over her as what he'd said had registered, and this time she didn't even think to care about the vague rustle of banknotes and the grumbling and laughter as she tilted her mouth to reach his and kissed him softly but deeply.

When they surfaced for air she felt like someone had slipped something in her drink. "Ditto," she murmured against his mouth, and both felt and saw the smile that creased his lips and crinkled his eyes.

"Get a room," said someone, and more laughter rippled round the room.

"Got one," Gibbs shot back to the rest of the party's amusement, but his eyes never left hers.

She wondered for a second if it would be considered bad form to get up and drag him from the table back to their suite. Not that she thought he would need any encouragement. He squeezed her knee and quirked an eyebrow, and she wondered if her desire was that obvious to everyone else.

The conversations around them restarted, and Gibbs took the opportunity to lean down and whisper in her unbugged ear. "Think you can wait another half hour?"

There was laughter in his tone, and he chuckled when she elbowed him.

She might actually be tempted to kill him, one of these days, if it wasn't for the fact he made her feel this way. "Maybe, maybe not. How about you?"

Another laugh, and then he moved in even closer, his breath tickling her ear and sending goosebumps over her neck as he spoke, no longer teasing but low, husky and full of promise

"I'll manage. More or less. And Katie... I'll make sure it's worth the wait."


	4. 48

"You wore that dress to torture me, didn't you?"

Gibbs' hand was sliding slowly and teasingly down her back as they walked towards their room, and it was making her brain fuzzy. She was grateful it was late. It did nothing for her mental acuity, but at least their team would have gone home. Having this conversation with McGee and DiNozzo listening in, commenting... She squashed the appalling thought.

"No I didn't."

"Sure you did."

She squirmed a little as a finger traced along a rib and slid just infinitesimally under the fabric.

"Gibbs, right now I couldn't pick my own mother out of a lineup, never mind lie to the human polygraph... Oh, God..."

He growled appreciatively into her ear before lightly nibbling her shoulder.

There was no question of her managing to mislead him - she could just barely remember how to walk - but there was also no denying she was enjoying the effect of this dress. In front it was reasonably modest, though still attractive, but it left almost her entire back naked. It made her feel daring and sexy, but not nearly as sexy as his reaction did. Gibbs seemed intent on exploring every inch of skin available to him.

Apparently his arousal didn't have any effect on his sense of humour. He'd been teasing her unmercifully since his whispered promise at the dining table, and was visibly pleased and amused at how flustered he'd gotten her without even touching her. Now his hands and lips were in on the action too, she wasn't quite sure if she'd make it to the suite before her knees gave out. The wicked twinkle in his eye wasn't helping any.

She was sure she could elicit some reactions of her own, if he'd only give her a second to catch her breath, but that didn't seem to be on his agenda.

"It's fun seeing you so off balance," he murmured in her ear.

She took a deep breath to try and steady her voice, and forced her wobbling legs to walk a little faster. "Can we just get back, please?"

He chuckled again. "Never thought Caitlin Todd would be so eager to get me in bed..."

She couldn't entirely suppress her grin, which she suspected rather spoiled the glare she threw at him. He did allow her to hurry him along and they managed the last fifty feet to their room with only his hand in the small of her back and his thumb leisurely stroking her skin. The contact sent tingles right through her, but at least left her able to put one foot in front of the other.

They were barely through the door and closing it behind them when she found herself pushed gently but firmly up against it, Gibbs' mouth on hers and his hands caressing her shoulders, her back, her waist. She let herself sink into the moment, and when he drew away a little she wasn't nearly done.

His eyes were dark and liquid as he gazed at her, his raw desire almost frightening in its intensity. Without breaking eye contact, he slid the mic from his tie, then reached round her neck to remove her wired up necklace.  _It's just you and me now_ , she realised as he disposed of them, and that thought was both exhilarating and alarming.

This was inevitable, and any lines left to be crossed were negligible after all they had already shared, but still her mouth was suddenly dry. Common sense insisted that such passion was dangerous, that he was her boss, that she must be crazy to even consider what she was about to do...

 _I really am crazy._  She bit her lip, closed her eyes, clenched her fists in the fabric of her dress, overwhelmed by conflicting emotions and bewitching sensations. Why did this have to be so... why did  _he_  have to be so...

"You OK?" he murmured.

He sounded concerned and a little confused.

_Can't say I blame him..._

"Nervous, Katie?"

She swallowed, opened her eyes, offered an uncertain smile. "Thrilled. Terrified." Her voice came out small and shaky.

His face softened at her honesty, and he smoothed her forehead with his fingers. "There's no rush, Kate... I don't..." He trailed off, and the gentleness in his tone and his touch was soothing and reassuring.

She leaned into his caress, allowed his eyes to take her captive, and felt the tension drain away. This might be the most foolish thing she would ever do, but she was still going to do it. She was going to jump, and trust he would catch her. Hang the consequences.

"I want to- I want... this. You. Now."  _Forever_. "I'm just... It's a little scary."

The look he gave her made her wonder if she'd said 'forever' out loud, but he didn't look away. "I know," he whispered.

She stared at him for a moment in surprise. "Gibbs... Did- did you just admit to being scared?"

A shrug and a half smile. "Maybe."

She shook her head, amused and disarmed.

"Fortunately," he continued, one hand sweeping up her arm to fiddle with the tie at her neck, "I know some really good ways to combat fear..."

"Oh, really?"

" _Really_  good ways..." His eyes asked permission even as he started to undo her dress.

"Well..." She reached up to pull at his tie. "Then I guess it's a good thing I'm willing to learn, Gunny."

He laughed. "That it is, Cap'n. That it is."


	5. 49

Through the haze of pleasure and satisfaction, Gibbs could just about cobble together the thought that he'd forgotten how good sex could be. What it was like when it was with someone he really cared about, who he'd wanted for such a long time - not just a warm and willing body scratching a physical itch. When it wasn't just sex, if he was honest, though he stubbornly refused to stick another more sentimental label on it.

"Gunny?"

"Uh huh?

"Please tell me you didn't learn  _that_  in the Marine Corps..."

He barked out a laugh. "Promise."

"Thank God." Her voice was a little ragged, and he felt absurdly pleased he'd had that effect on her.

He let his head loll back against the pillow, allowing his breathing and heartbeat to return to something approaching normal, enjoying the feel of her sprawled over him and the freedom to run his hands over her skin.

It was a couple minutes before his brain managed to move beyond 'wow'. When it finally did, he suddenly realised that Kate wasn't just a little breathless, but was sniffing and sniffling. He looked down at her, brushed her hair out of her face, and in the dim light he could see tears glistening on her cheeks.

"What's the matter?"

She giggled damply. "Nothing. Happy tears. I just can't quite..." She shook her head. "I'm half expecting to wake up tomorrow and realise I dreamed this."

He nuzzled into her neck, tasted her skin and felt her shiver, kissed her temple, then wrapped his arms tightly around her body, one hand tangling in her hair. "Not a dream, Katie. If anyone's dreaming, it's me." The idea of Kate dreaming about him was ludicrous. This could be his fantasy, but hers? Hardly. Even with her body tucked snug against his, their sweat and heat mingled in the air around them, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that reality would reassert itself any second.

"It wouldn't be the first time," she admitted, her voice slightly muffled against his chest.

He laughed. Kate Todd dreamed about  _him_? Like  _this_?

She lifted herself up a little to glare at him. "What's so funny?"

She looked so indignant, he couldn't help smiling. "Why the hell would you dream about me?"

A wicked glint came into her eyes. "Wellllll, now you mention it, maybe it was really DiNozzo..."

It was his turn to glare, and she collapsed onto him in a fit of giggles.

"Not a joking matter." He injected a little note of warning into his voice, which made her laugh even harder for a moment.

When she looked up at him again, she was still smiling, but her tone was absolutely serious. "Gibbs... there's a reason I haven't had a steady boyfriend since NCIS messed up my perfectly planned life. And trust me, that reason is  _not_  Tony."

She held his look, her eyes wide and honest and clear. After searching her face, he eventually nodded. In his experience, very few people could fake that degree of sincerity with anyone - let alone with him.

Kate flopped back down again, sighing against him. "I forgot what it was like to be completely relaxed."

He just nodded, relieved that she didn't seem to expect anything else from him. Sex never left him exactly chatty, and having a naked Caitlin Todd draped over his torso was about as big of a distraction as he could imagine. If he weren't so blissed out, so utterly sated, that would most definitely keep him awake for hours. It was almost fortunate this was the tail end of the op, when he was tired enough that nothing could keep him awake.

It was surprisingly comfortable and comforting to simply hold her close and listen to her breathing. He hadn't felt this comfortable sharing a bed with someone since... Well, for a very long time. He was halfway asleep when he felt her tense up.

"Gibbs?"

"Yeah?"

He waited. She didn't move, but he could almost feel her working up to something.

When she spoke, the words tumbled out in a rush, as if she had to get them out before she lost her nerve, but they were clear and definite, too.

"I really do love you, you know."

This time there was no mistaking it, no wondering, no uncertainty. She just stated it as fact, as if she was telling him the sky was blue or water was wet. He stopped breathing for a moment as he took it in, let the words settle deep inside, tried to fathom how this could be possible.

Even after her words this morning, their charged exchange at dinner... He knew Kate well enough to know that saying it out loud, putting herself out there like that, in a way that couldn't be missed or misinterpreted wasn't something she'd do lightly.

It wasn't something he would do lightly either, not something he would say unless he was sure. He rolled the idea around in his head, tasted and tested it. Simple words that could mean so much.

He took a deep, steadying breath, as if he was psyching himself up to jump from an aircraft or launch an attack on an enemy position. "Katie?"

"Yes?"

Even in that one syllable he could hear both fear and hope.

"I love you, too."

He could feel her smile against his neck, feel her relax into him, feel her relief, and chuckled.

"Whasso funny?" Sounded like exhaustion was catching up with her now she'd heard what she needed to hear.

He pulled her in a little tighter. "Just feelin' good."

There was a noise that he thought would sound something like agreement, if it hadn't been delivered against his skin by a woman rapidly falling asleep. He laughed again, softly, and kissed the top of her head before allowing himself to sink back into the pillows again.

It was true, painfully true, he reflected. For all his attempts to ignore it, stifle it, pretend it didn't exist... he did love her. He had for a while. That was good but scary. Or maybe scary but good?

Either way, there was no more denying it or running from it now.

"I really love you, Kate," he whispered, so quiet he wasn't sure she'd hear. Though admitting that to himself was at least as scary as admitting it to her.

Her answer was a gentle snore. He smoothed a hand over her hair, tucking a few wayward strands behind her ear, then settled his arms around her once more and allowed himself to drift off to sleep.


	6. 50

Waking up just kept getting better.

It was still dark, and she had no inclination whatsoever to move far enough to check what time it was, but it was a marked improvement from the last time she had been awake in the middle of the night.

Being unable to sleep because Gibbs had her confused and wistful versus waking up in his arms, with memories only a few hours old of him making love to her so tenderly and  _so_  thoroughly...  _No contest_ , she thought with a smile.

She nestled in closer. He was out cold, though his arms were linked around her waist and his head rested against hers, as if she might otherwise escape during the night.

Waking him up wouldn't be all that difficult, though, she suspected - and she had a feeling he wouldn't object if she initiated a little predawn fun. But the urge to rouse him was tempered by knowledge of how tired he was, how hard he had been working.  _We have all the time in the world_ , she told herself.

The thought surprised her - almost shocked her. She was not used to feeling so secure, so beloved. She didn't need to grasp at these moments, as if they might suddenly be snatched away. It was a strange and wonderful sensation and it made her smile. This was Gibbs -  _Gibbs_ , for goodness' sake! The man's track record was abysmal. And yet, she truly wasn't worried... she truly trusted him, trusted them, trusted this.

She sighed happily and let herself relax. A few more hours of rest with Gibbs as a pillow? Definitely something she could get used to. It took hardly any time at all for her to fall back to sleep, her arm wrapped tight around him and a smile on her face.


	7. 51

Tim was grateful this was the last official day of surveillance. It was necessary, and obviously they were happy to take their turn to be there, wanted to be on hand in case their colleagues needed backup... but boy, it was boring.

Tony was antsy too, judging by how much he'd fidgeted on the way out of the city, and his jittery energy was contagious. They'd barely been here five minutes and already it was getting on Tim's nerves.

"Will you sit still for two minutes?"

Tony gave him a hurt look, but did at least settle down. "OK,  _mom_." He sighed. "I'm looking forward to a case where I can do something other than serve canapés to rich people and then sit on my backside in a cold van."

He sounded so miserable Tim took pity on him. "Me too," he admitted. "Sorry you got stuck with all the waiter bits."

"Well, you're the alpha geek. Makes sense. I did kinda think I'd done my fair share of waiting on tables in college, though."

"The glamour of being a federal agent," said McGee drily, and they both laughed.

"I guess being paid to be nosy isn't all bad." Tony grinned evilly. "I got an update from the guys on the overnight shift, and guess what? Apparently Gibbs and Kate gave them quite a show at dinner last night."

Tim pulled a face. "I'm not sure I even wanna know."

"A couple of the guests had a bet on whether they were in love or not. I'm told they convinced the whole table..."

Tony waggled his eyebrows suggestively and Tim cringed. "Tony, I'm sure they were just, you know, playing up to their cover."

"Your innocence pains me, McNaive. Which part of their cover's backstory did you get that from? She's supposed to be the next thing up from a call girl. Since when do rich men fall in love with the help?"

Tim didn't know how to reply to that. They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Thing is..." By the tone of his voice, Tony had suddenly gone into 'serious' mode, an unusual enough occurrence that Tim turned towards his partner expectantly.

"What?"

Tony shrugged. "Just... What happens if something is going on, Tim? I mean, rule 12 is all Gibbs, I don't think it's actually absolutely forbidden, but..." He shrugged a shoulder. "I guess I just hope they know what they're doing, you know?"

McGee opened his mouth to answer, then shut it again. If there was something going on with Kate and Gibbs...

"I mean..." It sounded like Tony was having difficulty piecing his thoughts together. Tim knew the shallow as a puddle thing was mostly an act, but being sincere and thoughtful out loud wasn't Tony's usual mode of communication. "I know I rag on you, on Kate, but you guys - you're like my family or somethin'." He frowned. "I guess I just..."

"You're scared how this might change things."

Tony cringed. "Thanks for making me sound like a total dork."

"You're welcome."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, both lost in thought.

"On the plus side, it'll be fun asking Kate what Gibbs is like in the sack..."

Tim turned and looked at him, gaped, rather. "You wouldn't..."

Tony laughed. "Your eyes are like saucers, McGullible. Nah, c'mon, you know I don't have a death wish."

"Well, I sometimes wonder."

"I got too much to live for, mon frère," Tony drawled, in an accent Tim presumed was supposed to be Southern.

There was a pause. "You got something to say there, Probay?"

"Just waiting for you to tell me what movie that's from."

"What? Hey, that was all me." Tony's voice had gone all high pitched and defensive. "I can be poetic sometimes you know!"

"That's debatable."

They fell back into their usual bickering, and McGee tried to hide his grin. Whatever was going on with Gibbs and Kate would almost certainly affect them sooner or later, but he and Tony were arguing about something ridiculous. Some things never changed. All was right with the world.


	8. 52

It took a while for Gibbs to wake properly. He was comfortable, he'd had vague but good dreams, and he felt no desire whatsoever to face whatever the world would throw at him today.

There was a comforting weight against his chest, and he smiled when his mind connected the dots.  _Kate_. Still half asleep, he ran a hand over her hair, then down her back.

He was pulled into wakefulness when his fingers encountered warm, smooth flesh, not worn flannel. He opened one eye, squinting down, and saw Kate's naked shoulder, the soft expanse of skin.  _Wow_. Memories came flooding back, and his eyes closed again as he savoured them. "You're one lucky bastard," he told himself, then laughed.

"Mmmm."

Kate's sleepy moan and the feel of her nuzzling closer... He was grateful that, this morning, he had the right to drop a kiss on her temple, ruffle her hair, gently squeeze her butt. Her laughter mirrored his own as she propped herself up with one hand, trailing the other over his chest to make him gasp, and then tugging on his chin till his lips met hers.

The kiss was sleepy but intense. Kate took charge again, in a way that he wouldn't have expected from her before last night, and he surrendered gratefully to her insistent mouth, his hands tangling in her hair. When she pulled away, he was left still wanting. He couldn't imagine ever getting tired of the taste and feel of her. He tensed to sit up, but she pushed at his shoulder.

"Don't move."

He chuckled, and she frowned playfully down at him, then grabbed his wrists and pinned them either side of his head.

They both instinctively knew his subservience was a game, that she could dominate because he allowed her to, but there was something undeniably seductive about it. Maybe being owned wasn't such a bad thing after all.

"What's so funny, Gibbs?"

"Never expected you to be so bossy in bed."

"We can take turns."

He stared at her for a moment in surprise then guffawed.

She just raised an eyebrow. "There have to be some benefits to working in law enforcement," she said with a shrug. "Handcuffs can be used for all kinds of things..."

He felt his eyes widen. "Oh, really?"

She grinned. "Really."

Laughing, he flipped them over so he was on top. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were deep liquid pools he could happily drown in, yet she bit her lip nervously, a little of her inherent modesty asserting itself. She held his gaze for a few seconds then looked away.

"When do we have to leave?"

Gibbs grinned to herself, amused by her sudden shyness, but humoured her. He glanced at the clock. "We should probably get up soon," he conceded.

Her eyes met his again. Her teeth still worried at her bottom lip, and he dropped the softest of kisses there. "Kate... There's nothing to worry about." He hoped she'd understand his full meaning. He'd never been great with words, wasn't likely to start now, but she should know him well enough by now to catch what he was trying to say.

She stared at him, searched his expression, then a smile bloomed. Whatever reassurance she'd been looking for, she'd found it. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and they kissed once more.

He had to remind himself that they had things to do - and that they had a whole work free weekend ahead of them - before he was able to break away.

"OK," she whispered.

"OK?"

"OK."

He leaned down once more and took one last taste and smell of the skin of her neck (he noticed her whimper and small shiver of pleasure with satisfaction), then reluctantly disengaged, turning away from her so he could think straight, rubbing the last of the sleep from his eyes as he sat on the edge of the bed.

He felt the mattress shift as she moved to her side and got up, then he looked over to admire the view as she walked away, all long, toned limbs and silky skin, a sway of her hips that he was certain was entirely deliberate.  _Not all that shy then, Miss Todd_. She glanced over her shoulder at him, her grin wicked. He was glad there was a fold of fabric over his lap.

"You showerin' first then, I guess?" Playing it cool was hardly an option at this point, but he should at least  _try_  not to act like a teenaged boy.

She cocked her head to one side, then continued to sashay. "Who said we had to take turns?" she shot back, as she disappeared towards the bathroom.

Gibbs blinked.  _Huh_. The things he was discovering about his Katie...

"You coming?"

He heard the water start to flow, and shook himself back into action. "Y-Yeah."

 _So much for not behavin' like a teenager_.

Somehow, as he pushed the bathroom door open and she reached out to pull him close, he found he didn't care very much about that after all.


	9. 53

If she was a little less happy, Kate thought, she might be inclined to be embarrassed by how much of a bounce in her step she had as they walked out to the car. She felt like there might as well be a sign round her neck that said "I just had sex in the shower and it was incredible", and yet she really didn't care.

She'd even managed a smile for their host as they said goodbye. Her loathing for him had only grown deeper over the time they'd been here: his veneer of respectability and affability made the fact he was up to his ears in despicable business even more repulsive. She had been grateful to have Gibbs there as an excuse to rebuff his advances, but the fact they were done and out of this place plus the post coital glow left her able to brush off even his suggestive comment and leer.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow as he handed her into the car, but he couldn't keep the grin off of his face either. Once they were both inside he gave her knee a quick squeeze and then drove off down the driveway at what was, by his standards, a positively sedate pace.

She shot him a questioning look. They had to wait to dispose of the earwigs and mics till they were properly off the premises, and she didn't want to accidentally say anything to out them to the rest of the team.

Apparently he understood the unspoken question. "Wanna make sure we get back in one piece." Not a typically Gibbsian sentiment, but at least the guys wouldn't be able to see the slow grin and suggestive glance, or her blush in response.

Once they were out on the road, they both rapidly divested themselves of the listening gear, though Gibbs' cell rang about thirty seconds after they were through the gate. He pulled a face and tossed the phone to Kate before putting his hand back on the steering wheel. She put it on hands free.

"Hey Tony."

" _Hey Kate, Boss. Director wants us all back at HQ for a debrief before we go off duty. We'll meet you guys where Gibbs went to pick up the new bugs... If that's okay with the two of you, of course_..."

There was an edge in Tony's voice that suggested he wasn't entirely unaware what was going on, and Kate didn't know how to respond. She'd banked on their having the trip back to DC to talk and flirt and just enjoy their privacy a little, and knowing they had a rendezvous a relatively short drive away... She had no idea why they'd need to meet up before getting back to the Navy Yard anyway.

Fortunately Gibbs seemed much more at ease. "You'll probably beat us there, but we won't be far behind."

Kate frowned. If anything DiNozzo and McGee had further to travel, since they had to avoid being seen anywhere too close to the house. Given that he was covering for her inability to think of anything to say, though, she stayed quiet.

There was a moment of silence and she wondered if Tony was wondering the same thing she was. "' _Kay, Boss, guess we'll see you in a few_."

Gibbs nodded at her to shut the phone off, and then he was pulling in to the side of the road, turning off the engine and pushing his seat as far back as it would go.

She looked at him, a little confused.

"Whaddya say to an unavoidable delay," he rumbled, reaching for her, and Kate laughed as she unclipped her seatbelt.

"I'd say I like the way you think, Gunny," she replied, and climbed into his lap.


	10. 54

She'd been lying in wait for them to come out of the debriefing, and fortunately Kate was the first one out. "So Kate."

Kate turned on her heel and beamed. "Hey, Abs!"

Abby squashed the urge to laugh as Kate dove in for an enthusiastic hug. Man, she was positively glowing.  _Kudos, Bossman_. He really  _did_  have skills.

When Kate released her, Abby held her at arm's length and looked her over. "No injuries, wounds, bullet holes?"

Kate giggled - actually giggled - a sound Abby didn't remember hearing for a very long time. "We're all fine, Abby."

More than fine if Abby was any judge, and she prided herself that she was. "I can see that." She was just about managing not to laugh at her friend, but she couldn't quite help the tone and the smile, and Kate started to blush a very becoming shade of pink. "Maybe you can come down to the lab for a bit, some girl talk?"

Kate glanced at the closed door behind her, as if she was expecting Gibbs to reappear and sweep her off for a dangerous liaison any second, but then nodded her head. "Sure, Abs."

* * *

The futon was still out from the last time she'd caught nap at work. Abby sat down cross legged and gestured for Kate to sit down next to her. Kate being Kate folded her legs underneath her like a most proper young lady, as if she hadn't just been behaving badly with Gibbs not two hours ago. Abby smiled to herself. Kate was still Kate, even when she was breaking the rules, and it was kind of nice.

"So, anything exciting happen while we were - I mean, during the op - when I wasn't here?"

Abby grinned. "Nope. It was boring without you guys here. The only thing I had to distract me was Major Mass Spec and gossip."

Kate didn't take the bait, and Abby was kinda impressed. "Well, everything seemed to go well from our end, so I guess it was a success."

"So I heard."

Kate smiled a little secret smile to herself, looking off into nowhere with a dreamy expression on her face. "Yeah." Abby thought that if she didn't like Kate and Gibbs so much, she would probably be totally nauseated. As it was, it was cute.

She did want official confirmation, though. She didn't want to embarrass Kate - well, okay, maybe just a  _little_ , for fun - but it would totally suck to have to pretend she didn't know, act like everything was the same, when her best friend was so clearly head over heels in love.

"So, are you going to tell me about it, or am I going to have to start collecting evidence and spying on you whenever I see you and Gibbs together?"

Kate blinked. "What?" The beatific smile was still on her face, and Abby thought ruefully that her attempt at approaching this with a little humour would've worked better if Kate wasn't floating about three feet above her fellow not-in-love humans.

"You didn't hear a word I just said, did you?"

Kate blushed again. "Sorry, no, I was miles away."

 _More like a couple of_  floors  _away_. It was pretty obvious what, or more precisely who, Kate was thinking about, and why it was making her light up like a Christmas tree. "Please tell me that's just sex glow, Kate. You did use protection, right?"

The colour in Kate's cheeks went from pretty pink to bright beetroot as she came back down to earth. "Ye- I mean no. I mean... What? We didn't need- I mean, I don't know what you're..."

"For a Special Agent, Kate, you suck at lying."

Kate took another deep breath, and then just let it out on a long sigh, shaking her head. "I know," she admitted. "Oh, God. Being undercover is one thing, but I don't know what I'm gonna do when Tony or somebody asks me."

Abby giggled. "I think when it's Gibbs you're sleeping with, Tony might just be wise enough to keep his big mouth shut."

Kate cocked an eyebrow and grinned suddenly. "Good point. I knew there had to be an upside."

"More than one, I'm guessing." Abby reached out to smooth a lock of Kate's usually fastidiously tidy hair back behind her ear. "I'm not actually gonna  _ask_  how you managed to get bed head hair on a car journey, but I bet I can guess."

"We didn't- we just-" Kate paused, shaking her head. "Okay, you really don't need to know the details. It was just nice to have a little privacy." She smiled, her cheeks dimpling, looking bit embarrassed but also like she was sitting on the best secret in the world.

Abby grinned and shook her head. "Damn, girl. You are so smitten."

Kate hugged her knees, rested her chin on them, and grinned back. "Yup."

"Is he smitten too?"

Kate blushed yet again. "I - well he - hesaidhelovedme." The words rushed out in a jumble.

Abby blinked. "I'm sorry, Kate, did I hear that right?"

The blush deepened. "He said he loved me." She shook her head briefly. "I mean, it was in bed after we- well- um."

Abby fought back the urge to laugh at Kate's reluctance to actually say 'had sex' out loud. There were much more important things to concentrate on here. "But he did say it?"

Kate's smile broadened to epic proportions. "Yeah. Yeah, he did."

"So Kibbs is official! Amazing."

That got her a funny look. "Kibbs?"

"Uhhmmm..." Oops, yeah, she hadn't told Kate about that yet. "Yeah, you know... Kate, Gibbs... Kibbs." Abby smiled sweetly and hoped that Kate's good mood would forestall any retribution.

Kate just narrowed her eyes. "If DiNozzo gets hold of that, you're a dead woman."

Despite her words her tone was mild. Abby grinned. "Fair enough. So..." She paused, trying to figure out how to put it. "I know, I know, he's our boss and it's kind of weird, and I so do not want the gory details of last night-"  _well_ , she added, in the privacy of her own head,  _not enough to risk pissing off Kate_  and  _Gibbs, anyway_  "-but you have to tell me how it all happened and everything, okay? Two of my best friends are in love, I need to hear all about it."

That look of pure happiness blossomed again on Kate's face, and Abby scooched in closer as if some of it might rub off. It was like they were two teenagers gossiping, except nothing this great had ever happened when she was a teenager.  _Two of my best friends are in love_ , she repeated to herself as Kate started to talk. Abby was 100% empirically, scientifically certain she would never get tired of hearing about that.


	11. 55

Gibbs scolded himself for the stupid grin he couldn't quite wipe off his face. Director Morrow had given him several slightly odd looks during the debrief, and he was incredibly grateful that his part in the case was basically done. He had a feeling he might have missed a few salient points in the meeting, too busy behaving like a lovesick teenager. If he kept it up much longer he'd have to start head slapping himself.

He had been too impatient and too full of energy to wait for the elevator, and he'd laughed at his own eagerness to grab Kate and get outta here. For a self confessed workaholic, he sure was ready to take some well earned time off.

As he made it way through the lab, he heard the voices of two of his favourite people as they chattered away. Somehow, he wasn't at all surprised by the subject of their conversation.

"Trust me, Kate, Gibbs has been crazy about you, like, for _ever_."

"Really?"

Kate sounded genuinely surprised: Gibbs couldn't help smiling, given that he thought he had been painfully transparent for way too long.

"Trust me, I know."

"How do you know?"

Gibbs paused a couple of yards from the office, a little intrigued himself.

Abby chuckled. "Kate, he's been in love with you since that first case."

 _The sabotaged parachute?_  He tried not to think too hard about the fact he knew instantly what Kate's first official case had been, or that Abby had figured it out that quickly.

There was silence for a moment. He could imagine Kate's expression in the face of Abby's utter certainty.

"Really?"

"Really. I knew when he said 'please'."

It took Gibbs a moment to understand what she meant, then when he remembered he shook his head. Apparently Abby had cottoned on to it  _before_  he had, if she dated his feelings for Kate all the way back to Air Force One.

It occurred to him that he'd gone from accidental overhearing to intentional eavesdropping, and he made himself cough to announce his approach as he crossed the last few feet. He tapped lightly on the door then pushed it open. Two women jumped up to throw themselves at him, and he supposed he shouldn't have been that surprised when Abby made it first. He smiled at Kate over Abby's shoulder, and she grinned back.

"I'm so happy!" Abby was practically yelling it direct into his ear and he gently grasped her shoulders and pushed her far enough away that she wouldn't deafen him.

"I'm glad, Abs, but I'd like to keep what's left of my hearing."

Completely unabashed, she stepped back, grinning widely, as Kate walked into his arms. He dropped a kiss on the top of her head, then rolled his eyes. Abby had her hands clasped together like a small excited child and was practically jumping up and down as she looked at them.

Kate laughed. "So, Abby knows."

"You don't say?"

They grinned idiotically at each other, and he didn't even particularly mind Abby's narration about how adorable they both were.

"Oh, I am so happy for you." Her smile turned mischievous. "You guys have a whole weekend, you can just spend it-" Gibbs slapped a hand over her mouth.

"We best get outta here before Abs says something she regrets." He raised an eyebrow. Abby didn't look remotely abashed, and he shook his head and released her. Chances are she'd say what she wanted, and he was in too good a mood to mind all that much.

"I can think of a few other reasons for you to get out of here."

Gibbs shook his head, and swatted her on the ass, then tugged Kate with him out through the lab. He laughed at the squeak of protest that followed them out into the hallway, tightened his arm round Kate's waist, and pulled her flush against him as he hit the call button for the elevator.

It arrived quickly, for once. He grinned down at Kate as the doors closed. This was so wildly different from the last elevator ride they'd shared - was it really only a few days ago? - when the air had been thick with uncertainty and he'd so badly wanted to say or do  _something_  to find out if they were on the same page.

He reached out to flick the emergency stop. Kate looked up at him, frowning slightly, but when he cupped his hands around her face and bent to kiss her, he felt her grin.

When they surfaced she looked up at him with half hooded eyes and a happy smile. "That was... nice," she said.

"Yup. Always wanted to do that," he admitted in a low voice.

"Always?"

He shrugged. "Well, yeah, ever since  _you_  started workin' here, anyhow..."

Her laughter was both delighted and delightful. "So what else have you always wanted to do in here, Gibbs?"

She was teasing him. Well, he was  _almost_  certain she was teasing... He growled into her hair, and tugged her even closer.

"Not denyin' it could be fun." He pressed another warm, promising kiss to her mouth. "But I got plans for you that need a bed."

She grinned. "Well, Gunny... I do like the sound of that."


	12. 56

This was definitely something she could get used to. She had always, in truth, assumed sex with Gibbs would be fairly mind-blowing, just as she'd suspected - and been proven right - that he kissed like some combination of devil and angel.

Even taking into account his capacity for incredible loyalty and kindness and even occasional sweetness, he was a complicated and difficult man, a hardass, a workaholic, a self-confessed bastard. No way had he managed to get or stay married as many times as he did - even if they had ended in disaster - without managing to keep a woman happy in at least one room of the house.

Given his personality, his dogged determination, how methodical he could be, his attention to detail, well... the bedroom had seemed like the place his traits would most likely be an asset. And she'd been right.

What she had never expected was that he'd be so... snuggly. Great sex was good. Being held afterwards as if she was incredibly special and precious, and he never planned to let her go and would fight anyone who tried to make him... Mmmm. Yup. It was nice. Very nice. So nice that 'nice' was the wrong word, but she was too mind-blown to think of the right one.

It made her think Abby's assertions of how Gibbs felt, how  _long_  he'd felt it, were maybe not so far fetched as they seemed. That his confession of love hadn't just been some endorphin fuelled moment of insanity. She took a deep breath and let out a happy sigh against his chest.

"Okay?"

She giggled. "Gibbs, are you really asking me if I'm okay after...-" she let her hand slide down his back and over his butt, gave him a little squeeze "-after  _that_? My only problem right now is I don't think I remember how to do anything except breathe."

He chuckled. "I aim to please."

"It worked." She didn't even have the wherewithal to scold him for being smug, or to pretend she wasn't ridiculously, obscenely blissed out. She let out another happy sigh. Her muscles had officially been replaced by Jell-o and her brain by cotton candy, and she didn't even care.

Gibbs tugged her a little closer and dropped a kiss on her temple. "Whatcha thinkin' bout?"

She smiled. "Something Abby said."

There was a moment of silence and then he groaned and covered his face with his hand. "Oh, God."

Kate looked up at him, confused, then realised how it had sounded and laughed long and loud. "No, no, not like  _that_!"

He peeked out at her from between his fingers, and she chuckled. Gibbs being cute was still a little surprising and, well,  _cute_. Unexpected and rather adorable. "Promise?"

"I promise, Gibbs. If Abby and I have  _that_  conversation, I won't tell you a  _thing_." She let the implication hang in the air for a second, then laughed again when he growled and pulled her back against himself with a mock spank on her butt.

"You are  _not_  having that conversation, okay?"

She giggled. "I wasn't planning on it, trust me. I think Abby was kind of curious, but not quite curious enough to risk ending up dead."

"Good." He grumbled softly into her hair. "Mmmm, 's nice."

Kate snuggled back into him. "Yeah, it is."

They lay in silence for a few minutes, and Kate could almost have fallen asleep except that she was loathe to miss a moment.

"So what was it?"

Gibbs' question startled her out of her reverie. "Hmmm?"

"What was it you were thinking about?"

"Oh. That." She propped herself up on his chest so she could look him in the face while she spoke. "I just wondered - I mean, Abby said-" She stopped and shook her head, tried to get her thoughts in order. Being cuddled up to a naked Gibbs did not do wonders for her ability to think straight. "How long have you- you know... wanted me?"

He let out a long breath, shook his head, chuckled. "Kate, first time we ever met? I pushed you, you pushed right back, outright told me you grew your own balls."

She laughed. Yeah, she supposed that was kind of right up his street. At the time she'd just been doing her job, had been doing her best to ignore that strange spark that had been there from the beginning, but she could see why he, of all men, would be... intrigued. "Okay. Right. Fair enough."

"Pretty irresistible." He paused. "Knew I liked you then. Knew I wanted you on the team. Told myself it was just 'cause you were good." She felt him shrug. "Took me a while to realise there was somethin' else goin' on."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Sometimes I'd get too close and your hair'd get all-" he gestured "-up in my nose and I couldn't..." He pressed his face into her hair and breathed in deep, then groaned. "You're... mmmm."

She could feel herself blushing. It was nice to feel so irresistible.

"By the time I figured it out, was way too late to do anythin' about it." He laughed softly. "Was a goner."

The warm rumble of his voice made her smile. She propped herself up on his chest so she could see his face. "Abby said she knew you loved me when you said 'please'."

He chuckled. "Abby's a romantic, where other people are concerned." He shrugged a shoulder. "She... had a point though, I guess. Took me a helluva lot longer to you know... get there. But I did..." He looked almost shy as he tried to put words round it, and he was quiet as he continued. "Don't really know when I realised. Didn't mean to do somethin' so dumb, fall in love with another agent. Did my best to ignore it."

"Me either. Monumentally stupid." She laughed. "Though right now it doesn't seem like it was such a bad idea as I thought a week ago."

He went quiet for a minute, his face thoughtful. "When-" he cleared his throat "-when Ari took you..." He shook his head, and when he continued his voice was so soft she had to strain to hear him. "I dreamt, I dreamt you'd died, that he'd- shot you. In the head."

Kate couldn't help the shiver. "I had nightmares afterwards, too."

He'd been looking off into nowhere, as if he was miles away, but now his gaze returned to hers. "It wasn't afterwards, Kate." He gave her a wry grin, a little embarrassed. "I mean - I was already dreamin' that, before. The day he took you, Abby an' McGee woke me up in the middle of it."

"I can't believe you had a bad dream about me. I..."

"More than once."

"My God."

"That day... I had to- had to come find you." He pulled a face. "Make sure you were okay, see for myself."

Sudden understanding dawned. "That morning at DC Beans?"

He nodded.

She shook her head. "That makes  _so_  much more sense now."

"Yeah, I guess that was pretty, uh..."

"Weird? Unusual? Out of character? Totally confusing?"

He shrugged eloquently and grinned. "All of the above?"

She couldn't help grinning back. "Funny thing is, I remember wondering if you were trying to flirt with me or something."

He shrugged again. "Uh... maybe a bit." He actually looked decidedly embarrassed now. It was... cute. Again. She decided  _not_  to use that word out loud. "Didn't mean to, but..."

"I'm just that irresistible?"

His mouth twitched with amusement. "Somethin' like that."

Yeah. She could definitely get used to him looking at her like he was just barely resisting the temptation to pin her down and make her scream with pleasure. Again. She leaned down to kiss him, then smiled and moaned against his mouth when his hand came up to tangle in her hair, holding her close, and the other tightened around her waist.

"Seems like you've recovered some," he remarked with a wicked grin when they surfaced.

She wriggled happily. "Seems like you have, too."

"Round two?"

She rolled on to her back, pulling him with her, wrapped her legs around him as his weight came to rest deliciously between her thighs, laughed at the way his eyes got unfocused as he groaned. "Bring it on, sailor. You up for the challenge?"

His teeth found the soft skin below her ear, and she heard him chuckle as his hands and mouth and body got to work making her come apart at the seams. "Oh, Katie," he murmured, voice full of promise and sex. "You have no idea."


	13. 57

"So, I was thinking..."

Gibbs looked up from his cup of coffee and saw Kate standing in the doorway of his kitchen. He grinned. It was a hell of a view. She had clearly raided his closet for clean clothing, and that was pleasantly domesticated in a way he didn't want to inspect too closely. Somehow the boxers and shirt managed to make her still more feminine and gorgeous, even as they swamped her frame.

Or maybe he was just finally allowing himself to notice what had always been true, no matter what she wore.

It was a lot easier to concentrate when she was more or less dressed, although he kinda preferred when she wasn't. Being able to concentrate? Seriously overrated.

"Yeah?"

She came to his side and poured herself a coffee, then hopped up onto the counter and crossed her legs at the ankles.

"They're looking for profilers at the FBI."

For a moment he was simply confused, and then what she'd said settled into his brain. He took in a sharp breath, as if he'd been socked in the gut. "What?"

She gave him an odd look. "Profilers? You know, my specialty?"

Something like panic had a hold of his throat, and he couldn't respond, just had to stand there and listen to her casually remove herself from his life.

"I thought it might make more sense to start thinking about it  _now_  so you can look for someone to replace me, and it won't give the Director or anyone a chance to give you grief over, you know, stuff. What d'you think?"

He forced himself to take a breath, to at least get some words out. "I- God, Kate, did I do something?"

She gave him a look that was the personification of 'wtf?' "What?"

He ran a hand up her arm, took hold of her shoulder. "Please, Kate. Don't do this." How had he messed up so soon?

Her hands came up to touch his face and brush through his hair, casually, almost automatically, as if they'd been a couple for years, not days. "Gibbs, I have no idea what you're thinking right now, but I'm pretty sure whatever it is has nothing to do with what I'm trying to say."

"Please, just..." He was pleading, and he wasn't even sure what for. Her touch was reassuring, but why did she want to leave him? Already? "Don't leave me." He sounded pathetic, completely pathetic, but he had to make her understand he'd do  _anything_...

She frowned at him for a moment, before suddenly her expression cleared and she laughed, setting her cup down, then pulled him into her body, wrapping her arms around his neck and then her legs around his waist, as if for good measure. "You're an idiot," she murmured, and she was so close he felt the words against his lips. "Why would I leave you? I love you, you dunce."

He frowned, confused, but let himself embrace her. "But you want to go to the Feebs, I don't..."

"Gibbs, for an intelligent guy you can be amazingly slow." She shook her head. "Rule 12? 'Romance between agents never works'? Any of this ring a bell?"

"I-" His mind was racing and pennies were dropping. "I... okay, I am an idiot."

"You think?"

He laughed with relief. "I thought... I thought..." He shook his head, managed to drag some air into his lungs. "You're right. I'm stupid."

"I know."

"Thanks." He said it drily and she laughed at him. Again. He couldn't bring himself to mind so long as she was sticking around to  _continue_  laughing at him. "For a moment..."

She laid a hand on his cheek and leaned in till their foreheads touched, gave him a look that was mingled tenderness and exasperation. "You really  _are_  an idiot." He shrugged a shoulder. He couldn't exactly argue. "I love you, okay? I want this to work. I want us to have a future, not to crash and burn 'cause we're both too stubborn to change."

The way she was looking at him... he swallowed and reminded himself breathing was not optional. "But Katie... you love your job."

The corners of her mouth turned up. "I love you more."

He couldn't help grinning like a besotted teenager when she said stuff like that. "I should - I could retire, or something, you shouldn't have to..."

"I don't  _have_  to. I want to." She smiled wider. "Gibbs... I love my job, I do, I  _love_  working with you. But I can do what I do in any capacity. What you do... I can't make you give that up. It's too important. It's part of who you are. I won't  _let_  you give that up for me when I'd be happy doing my job somewhere else. I'll miss working with you, with all of you, sure, but I'll come visit so often you'll be sick of me, and I'll still get to work with you more than if you'd retired. I bet Fornell will be thrilled to have someone else he can draft in to liaise so he doesn't have to. And-" she shrugged a shoulder "-I'll know you'll be here when I come home at night, which is so much more important."

It still kind of stunned him she was thinking ahead like this, was including him in her life long term. He couldn't help thinking it was a stark contrast to Jenny, who had made it painfully clear he didn't fit in with her plans. Kate, unbelievable as it still seemed, could look at a burnt out old jarhead and see her future. "Okay," was all he managed out loud. "Okay."

"You must've seen this coming?" She shook her head. "I mean, you're the one with all the rules, Gibbs, not me. How else was it gonna work?"

"Guess I didn't realise... din't expect you'd change up your life just for me, I s'pose."

She shrugged again. "Given how often you've spouted those lines over the last two years, I figured... whether or not you were right, you sure believed it. It seemed like the next step to take."

It all sounded so logical and sensible when she put it that way. Insofar as the idea of Kate wanting to be with him made  _any_  kind of logic or sense, of course. "Okay."

"I was just trying to follow your orders."

He gave her a sceptical look. "Really?"

She laughed. "First time for everything. And you know, this rule seemed... kind of important to you."

"Yeah?"

"You were sort of... intense about it."

He coughed. All this time he'd thought he was so utterly and painfully transparent. It was a little embarrassing to admit just why he'd been so 'intense' about it. "You, uh, remember when that first came up?"

"Believe me, I remember. How could I forget?" She glanced to one side as she recalled it. "Late on a warm Cuban night, you looked at me with this inscrutably sad expression and basically told me it was never gonna work. I had no idea if you just meant Tony and Paula or if you'd realised I was... um, harbouring unprofessional thoughts about you or what, but either way it meant the same thing, that I didn't have a chance."

"Wasn't a coincidence."

"No?"

"Cuba was..." He shook his head. "It ever occur to you I might be harbourin' some 'unprofessional thoughts' of my own, Katie?"

She smiled slowly, her eyes flicking up to meet his then looking away again, a little shy. "Sometimes. I tried not to think about it, tried to convince myself I was... I don't know, imagining things. It was easier that way, easier to deal, because I was so sure even if I was right... well, you'd never  _do_ anything about it."

"Was doin' my best not to. Kept remindin' myself it was off the cards, warned you off best I could, just in case. Made sure you knew I wasn't lyin' when I told you I was a bastard. Tried to make sure nothin' could happen, made sure you wouldn't look at me that way, ever. So even if  _I_  broke it wouldn't matter, 'cause you wouldn't."

"Well that worked like a charm, huh?"

He laughed at her dry tone and the cheeky smirk she threw at him, shook his head in pleased disbelief.

"What?"

"Nothin'." He didn't have the words, so he grinned and leaned in to kiss her again, not holding back, making love to her mouth till she was moaning and her arms and legs were tight around his body.

When they surfaced, she was panting and her eyes were so dark they looked almost black. "Wow."

"Yeah. That's what they all tell me."

For a moment she stared at him and then burst out laughing, leaning against him. "I can't be _lieve_  you just said that."

He shrugged. "Couldn't help myself."

She shook her head. "I should kick your ass."

"You probably could," he acknowledged.

" _Probably?_ "

"Well, we'll make sure and test the theory at some point, Miss Secret Service. Right now-" He laughed suggestively "-I got a better idea." He slid his hands up her thighs, under the cotton of the boxer shorts she'd liberated from his underwear drawer, and gently squeezed her butt. Her head was resting against his shoulder, and he could feel as well as hear the happy noise she made, her laughter shifting into pleasure. He left one hand inside the boxers and smoothed the other up and under the shirt she'd pilfered from his wardrobe. He had to admit it looked  _great_  on her. "Gonna steal all my clothes, huh?"

She grinned against his neck. "Doesn't seem like you mind."

"At least they're easy to take off." He popped a button as his hand moved up over her stomach.

"We're still in the kitchen," she pointed out, although she made no attempt to stop him and he could feel her heartbeat thumping under his fingers.

"So?" He brushed the side of her breast, prompting a little grunt of want out of her, and her legs pulled him still closer.

When she spoke again her control over her voice was slipping, her words stuttering and shaky. "Do I need to remind you... you have a perfectly serviceable... bed?"

"Nope, I remember." He grinned. "Kinda gets in the way of my plan, though."

"What plan is that?"

He nuzzled the fabric of the shirt collar aside and laid a hot, open mouthed kiss on the top of her shoulder, following it with a slow, seductive line of similar kisses and nips up the side of her neck. By the time he reached her ear her hands were clutching at his arms and her breathing was deliciously uneven.

He let his voice drop into the low, smooth tone he'd already established made her knees melt. "To make love to you in every single room of this house."

She let out a high, quivery noise. "Oh."

"Got a problem with that, Agent Todd?"

Her laugh was breathless, and when she spoke again her voice sounded rough and needy. "Oh... you know what, Agent Gibbs? I really, really don't."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n big shout out to tervluv1 who helped me work out some of the kinks in this chapter. any and all errors are mine, but it ended up much stronger for her input. THANK YOU!


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